Garment hanger dispensing machine

ABSTRACT

A hanger dispensing machine used in laundering establishments wherein one of a plurality of hangers in a carton is automatically selected by a hanger engaging and positioning member and moved to a station where a garment can readily be placed thereon.

United States Patent [151 3,684,130 51 Aug. 15,1972

Winslow [54] GARMENT HANGER DISPENSING MACHINE [72] Inventor: Clinton A. Winslow, 2321 NW. 12th St., Oklahoma City, Okla. 73107 [22] Filed: July 6, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 52,530

[52] US. Cl. ..221/212 [51] Int. Cl. ..B23q 7/04 [58] Field of Search ..221/212, 22, 23,1,198,l3, 221/230, 258, 198, 227, 255, 240, 284, 191, 192,194,199, 208, 210, 211, 224, 226, 231,

232, 244, 251, 262; 214/1 BV, 8.5 C, 8.5 A

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,637,710 8/1927 Rider ..221/22 Ruosso ..221/195 X 2,705,100 3/1955 Paxton et a1 ..221/274 X 2,840,270 6/1958 Gore ..221/230 X 3,095,958 7/1963 Whitman ..221/312 R X 3,141,571 7/1964 Moore ..221/212 X Primary ExaminerSamuel F. Coleman Attorney-Shlesinger, Arkwright & Garvey 571 ABSTRACT A hanger dispensing machine used in laundering establishments wherein one of a plurality of hangers in a carton is automatically selected by a hanger engaging and positioning member and moved to a station where a garment can readily be placed thereon.

23 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUG 15 I912 3684.130

SHEET 2 0F 3 Fig 2 Clinton Winslow Ii Ii" ML |6 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS PATENTEBAuc 15 1912 SHEET 3 BF 3 Fig. 5

INVENTOR. Clinton A. Winslow QWW/% ATTORNEYS SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates to hanger selecting and dispensing apparatus where garments are placed on a hanger.

It is directed to the use of special apparatus which will accomplish this result, and has particular application to the laundry industry where there is shirt finishing. I

Such a machine increases efficiency of operation in that the need for an operator to select and to position a clothes hanger for receiving a garment is automatically performed.

The dispensing machine makes it possible for the operator to concentrate only on placing the garment on the hanger, since the hanger is bothselected and positioned to receive a garment, without requiring the operator to perform these operations. It makes possible the stacking of a large number of hangers in a small area, out of the way of the operator.

With this machine the operator always has a hanger positioned in front of him ready to receive a garment. After this hanger is removed a new hanger is selected and positioned in its place. The machine control,

although automatic, is geared to the speed of the operator since the supply of a new hanger is solely dependent upon the removal of a prior hanger from the mounting support.

The arrangement of the hangers and this design provide a means of stacking a large number of hangers efficiently and in a relatively compact container, and to overcome the tendency of such hangers to tangle and twist.

These features are made possible by the special coat hanger and container as used with the special hanger feed, hanger pickup, and control mechanisms of the invention.

Other objects will be apparent from the following presently preferred form of the present invention taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of the hanger dispensing DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring particularly to FIG. 1, the hanger dispensing machine is generally indicated at 10 and ineludes an upright post 12 which is supported by lateral support legs 14 and a rear extending leg 16.

An upright support plate 18 integral with the rear support leg 16 at its lower end supports the hanger container support plate 20. The support plate 20 has an upright carton wall engaging section 22. Vertical threaded elevating shaft 24 extends through the platform 20 parallel to the upright post 12 and nearly to the I top thereof.

The threaded upright vertical shaft is engaged adjacent the bottom thereof by a half-nut support assembly 26 which supports a hanger stack lifting plate 28. The hanger stack lifting plate 28 is adapted to move vertically upward along the length of the vertical threaded shaft within the container. In FIG. 3 it can be seen that it is shaped to fit within the triangular shaped container 30 with its peripheral walls closely adjacent to the side walls 30, 32 and the front wall 34.

The hangers are stacked within the container in superposed stacked relation, one directly resting on another with approximately 300 to 350 hangers per container.

The top hanger 36 shown in FIG. 3 is disposed in a horizontal plane at the top edge of the hanger container. Its construction is different from that of a conventional hanger. It has the two wires joined at 38 by a weld with the wires being disposed side by side instead of the conventional construction of twisting the two wires around each other. This construction gives a uniform one wire width thickness to the hanger at the juncture instead of the two width thickness of the twisted construction. The hanger also has two nesting indentations adjacent each end 39 which insure that the superposed hangers will be supported evenly one on the other within the-stack without sliding off the hanger immediately below it.,

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an upright hanger 40 which is held in an upright vertical position by the hanger lifting plate 42. In this position the hanger is ready to receive a garment.

The plate 42 has-two hinge elements 44 and 46 disposed adjacent its lower edge, which receive a hinge connecting rod 50. The portion intermediate to the two hinge pieces has a lever piece 48 as indicated in FIG. 1, integral with and angularly disposed with respect to the surface of plate 42. Hinge assembly and mounting of the plate 42 is effected by'the passing of the hinge rod piece 50 through the hinge members 44 and 46 and an intermediate upstanding hinge piece 52'which is integrally supported on the upright post 12.

The hanger lifting plate 42 has an opening 54 adjacent the upper edge thereof through which the front surface of a magnet 56 supported on the rear of the hanger plate 42 extends. The magnet is positioned so that it touches the hanger at the junction 38 of the two hanger wires.

The vertically extending lever slot 58 adjacent the lower end of lifting plate 42 permits the recycle control switch lever 60 to project therethrough so that it can be tripped by the lower portion of the hanger 40 when it is lifted with its garment from the machine.

A' hanger guard or shield 62 extends outwardly from the collar block 64 in front of the upright hanger as shown in FIG. 2. The collar block 64 around which a shirt or garment is fitted is a hollow member which contains the trip switch mechanism 66 to which the trip lever 60 is connected.

The hanger lifting plate 42 is activated by an elongated activating rod 68 which is pivotally connected to the lever piece 48 at its upper end. The activating rod is connected to the cycle crank motor 70 which has a cam control surface 71 on the output shaft. A spring-biased telescopic assembly 72 is disposed between the crank arm of the cycle motor and the activating rod 68. A hinged switch support plate 73 supports the control switch 74 which engages the one cycle control cam assembly 71. The cycle control solenoid 75 is connected to the hinged control switch. When it is momentarily activated by closing of switch 66, it moves plate 73 and the supported switch 74 away from the cam control surface 71. The motor will then be operable until the cam surface will re-engage and open the switch. This occurs after one revolution of the motor crank arm. When the cycle motor 70 moves through one revolution the hanger lifting plate activating rod moves the hanger plate down to a horizontal position immediately above and in contact with the top hanger in the hanger container. The return half-stroke of the cycle motor 70 pivots the hanger lifting plate 42 and the top hanger 40 from the stack.

The hanger stack elevating mechanism is shown in FIG. 1. The power for rotating the vertically extending threaded shaft 24 is supplied by gear motor 76, which is also activated by the control switch 74. A chain sprocket 78 is mounted on the end of shaft 24 immediately below the carton support plate 20. The end of the shaft is supported in the bearing thimble 80. The drive sprocket 82 is directly connected to the output shaft of motor 76 and drives the chain 84 which extends around sprockets 78 and 82. This entire assembly is supported on the drive and shaft support plate 86.

Immediately above the carton support plate 20 is the half-nut hanger stack support assembly 26 on which the containers hanger stack support plate 28 rests. FIGS. 4 and show this construction in detail. The hexagonal support nut is mounted directly below the plate 28 and is threaded on the exterior surface of the upper sleeve 89. Two quarter-nut sections 90 are disposed below the sleeve 89 in threaded engagement on their inner periphery with the threaded shaft 24. Below the quarter-nuts and spaced therefrom is a support sleeve 91 through which the shaft 24 extends in spaced relation. One of the quarter-nuts 90 is supported on the pivot arm 92 which pivots about the screw 94, and the second quarter-nut is rigidly mounted on the interior surface of pivot arm 96 which is pivoted at screw 98. The ends of the pivot arms 92 and 96 are spring-biased together by the spring 100 which is of sufficient strength to hold the inner threaded surfaces of the quarter-nuts in engagement with the threaded surface of the threaded shaft. The upper and lower sleeves are held in rigid aligned engagement by the two vertical plate members 102 and 104 to which they are welded or otherwise integrally connected to form a rigid assembly. A horizontal lever arm support member 106 extends below both lever arms and has two spaced holes therethrough to receive the lever arm pivot screws 94 and 98. It is welded or otherwise connected at its forward edge to the rear edge of the vertical spacer and support member 102. It can be seen that by squeezing together the ends of the lever arms 92 and 96 the quarter-nut pieces 90 are moved outwardly away from engagement with the threaded surface of the upright threaded shaft 24.

raising the hanger support plate 28 and the stack of hangers it supports. The spring-biased lever arms of the half-nut assembly 26 make it possible to conveniently lower the assembly after one carton of hangers has been used, by pressing the ends of the lever arms together to free the quarter-nuts from threaded engagement with the shaft. Then the entire assembly can be lowered to the starting position immediately above container support plate 20 to support plate 28 of a new container.

The elevating motor 76 is started when the trip lever 60 is moved upward by the hanger being removed from hanger support plate 42 to result in closing of switch 74. The switch is connected in circuit with the power supply for motor 76. The motor speed is regulated so that it will turn threaded shaft 24 just enough to move the entire stack of hangers upwardly the width of one wire hanger. To provide some small compensation, the motor control circuit is adjusted to provide a slightly greater elevation rate than the rate at which the hangers are being removed from the top of the container.

This difference in rate of rise requires some compensation in the pickup assembly. This is provided by the telescoping assembly 72 located at the bottom of the activating rod 68. When the stack of hangers reaches a point slightly above the desired level (even with the top of the container) the lifting plate 42 on being moved toward the vertical position will be restrained from assuming its horizontal position. This back pressure will be absorbed by the spring-biased telescopic assembly 72. Not shown, but connected to the telescoping assembly 72 is a limit switch which will cut off the elevating motor power 76 when this condition occurs.

OPERATION To operate the machine the operator takes a full hanger container 30, opens the top and bottom flaps, and guides the container down over the upright shaft 24. The hangers are directly supported by the hanger support plate 28 which forms the bottom of the carton and has an opening to permit the threaded shaft 24 to pass therethrough. This hanger support plate 28 rests on the nut 88, the height of which is adjusted so that the top hanger 36 is flush with the side walls of the carton. The bottom of walls 30, 32 and 34 are brought to rest on the container support plate 20 and clamped in this position. The machine is now ready for operation.

The crank motor is started and it turns through one revolution moving the activating rod 68 so that the pivoted hanger pickup plate swings downwardly from the vertical to the horizontal position being its magnet 56 in contact with the top hanger 36. The magnet 56 is sufficiently strong to firmly hold the hanger against the pickup plate 42 so that on the return swing of the pickup-plate 42 to the vertical position, the hanger is carried with it to assume the position of hanger 40 of FIG. 1. It will be seen that the hanger is pivoted through an arc of to this loading position immediately behind the collar block 64 and the hanger shield 62. The operator merely places the shirt or other garment around the hanger, collar block, and shield and buttons one of the top buttons to complete the garment mounting operation. The hook of the hanger is then grasped by the operator and the hanger and garment are pulled from the machine.

During the removal operation the lower portion of the hanger lifts trip lever 60 momentarily closing trip switch 66 which is connected to solenoid 75.

On activation, the solenoid 75 pulls the hinged plate 73 on which the control limit switch 74 is mounted, moving the switch roller off the control cam surface 71 thereby closing the crank motor circuit for another cycle. On rotation, the cam surface 71 re-engages the roller of limit switch 74 and opens the switch at the completion of one revolution of motor 70.

Switch 74 also acts to control the gear motor 76 to commence the lifting of the entire stack of hangers the width of one hanger so that the second hanger from the top is moved to the hanger pickup plate engaging position even with the top surface of the hanger container.

As mentioned previously, the gear motor acts through the sprockets 78 and 82 and chain 84 to rotate the threaded shaft 24, whereby the split-nut assembly 26 elevates the hanger support piece 28.

This operation is successively repeated, with the halfnut assembly rising progressively higher in the container until the last hanger is picked up by the hanger pickup plate 42.

At this point, the empty container is removed from the machine and the half-nut assembly is lowered to starting position.

It is a simple matter for the operator to simply squeeze the free ends of the pivoted levers 92 and 96 to disengage the quarter-nut sections 90 from the threaded surface of the threaded shaft 24, and then to lower the entire half-nut assembly to the starting position on container support plate 20, illustrated in FIG. 1.

CONCLUSION Thus, it can be seen that the machine provides a means for successively taking a large number of compactly stored hangers from their container and positioning them in a collar block assembly without manual handling, so that a garment can be immediately mounted thereon.

This eliminates the need for the operator to reach for a hanger and place it inside the shirt or garment after buttoning the collar. -It also should be noted that the special construction of the hanger using a preferably spot-welded construction at the neck permits compact and even storage of the hangers within the container. This has been one of the problems of compact hanger storage in the past. Previously the only workable way to store hangers was to place them on a horizontal bar or worm screw.

With the use of the special triangular shaped container against the walls of which the outer periphery of these hangers slide,-it is possible to use a compact vertical stacking technique. The hangers do not slip inside one another, because of indentations 39 on the bottom wire length of the hangers.

The machine supplies a hanger ready to be used at exactly the moment desired by the operator. The feed rate is entirely dependent upon the speed of the operator, the entire mechanism being controlled by the lifting of the hanger and garment off the machine.

Thus, it can be seen that this unit provides a new device for eliminating manual handling of hangers in a garment processing establishment.

While the invention has been described, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A hanger dispensing machine, comprising:

a. holding and support means for holding a plurality of hangers within a container in stacked alignment for successive incremental movement toward a work station having a collar block,

. pickup means at the work station for selecting the end hanger from the container and moving it to an upright garment-receiving position behind the collar block and clear of the stack to permit hanging of the garment thereon,

c. stack positioning means disposed in contact with the stack of hangers for progressively moving the stack so that the end hanger is moved into position for pickup by the pickup means after the preceding end hanger has been removed,

d. control means associated with the stack positioning means and the pickup means for actuation thereof after removal of the garmented hanger.

2. The hanger dispensing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a. the holding and support means includes a support member on which a carton containing the hangers is mounted and held with its ends open to permit hangers to be moved therethrough.

3. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1,

wherein: Y

a. the pickup means includes a pivoted member which has a hanger engaging member integral therewith.

4. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1,

wherein:

a. automatic sensing means is associated with the pickup means for sensing removal of the hanger held in upright position and for sending a control signal to the control means to activate the pickup means.

5. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1,

wherein:

a. each hanger in the stack of hangers has hanger stacking means for holding the hangers in a horizontal superposed aligned relationship with respect to each other. 7

6. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein:

a. the holding and support means includes an upright column and a base with a platform disposed above the base and on which vertically stacked hangers are mounted, and

b. platform moving means for incrementally lifting the stacked hangers upwardly after the top hanger is removed from the stack by the pickup means.

7. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 6,

wherein:

a. the platform moving means includes an upright shaft mounted on the base which extends upwardly through the platform and the stack of hangers, and

b. platform supporting means associated with the shaft for supporting the platform and engaging the shaft at successive incremental points along its length.

8. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 7,

wherein:

a. the platform supporting means is a releasable assembly to permit resetting of the platform at the lower level after it has been moved to the top of the shaft to receive an additional stack of hangers.

9. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 7,

wherein:

a. the upright column is a threaded shaft,

b. the platform supporting means is a nut assembly threaded on the shaft.

10. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 9,

wherein:

a. the nut assembly includesa pair of pivoted members which are spring-biased together and each of which contains a portion of a nut which engages the threads on the upright shaft.- 11. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 9, wherein: i

a. the shaft is rotatably mounted on the base, and

b. the power means includes a motor connected to a mechanical power transmission means which is connected to the shaft to impart rotative motion thereto.

12. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 6,

wherein:

a. power control means is associated with the platform moving means for automatically activating the platform moving means after a hanger is removed by the pickup means.

13. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 12,

wherein:

a. automatic cycle means is connected to the power means and the control means for automatically activating the mechanical power means when the pickup means picks up the top hanger.

14. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1,

wherein:

a. the pickup means includes a normally vertical pivoted member mounted on the upright column at a point above the top hanger and which pivots downwardly to engage the top hanger.

15. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 14,

wherein:

a. the pivoted member has a magnetic member for engaging and holding the hanger through its pivoted movement to an upright position and for holding it in such position until it is removed after a garmenthas been placed thereon.

16. A hanger dispensing machine, comprising:

a. a collar block mounted on the front of a support assembly,

b. holding means disposed on the support assembly behind and below the collar block for receiving an open-top upright container having therein a plurality of horizontally disposed, vertically stacked, aligned hangers,

c. pickup means mounted on the support assembly and disposed adjacent the open top of the container for picking up a single hanger and positioning and holding it in upright position immediately behind the collar block,

. hanger positioning means for moving hangers in the container into position to be picked up by the pickup means, and

e. control means associated with the pickup means for determining when a hanger has been removed from the pickup means and then activating the pickup means.

17. The hanger dispensing wherein: I

a. the control means includes a switch assembly which has a lever positioned so as to be tripped by the upright hanger as it is removed from the pickup means.

18. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16,

wherein:

a. the control means includes delay means for providing clearance time for the operator to clear the hanger and the garment thereon from the dispensing machine.

19. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16,

wherein:

a. the stacked are disposed immediately behind the collar block with their hooks disposed furtherest away from and aligned with the collar block, and

b. the pickup means includes a pivoted pickup member disposed immediately below the collar block with an arc of travel from a vertical position immediately behind the 'collar block to a horizontal position immediately above and in contact with the uppermost of the stacked hangers.

20. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16,

wherein:

a. the hangers have all portions thereof in a common plane.

21. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 20,

wherein: p

a. the hanger is of wire construction having adjacent wire portions at the base of the hooks held together side by side in a common plane.

22. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16,

wherein:

a. each hanger in the stack of hangers has hanger stacking means for holding the hangers in horizontal superposed aligned relationship with respect to each other.

23. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 22,

wherein:

a. the hanger stacking means includes an upstanding bent wire portion adjacent each of the lower ends of the hanger.

machine of claim 16, 

1. A hanger dispensing machine, comprising: a. holding and support means for holding a plurality of hangers within a container in stacked alignment for successive incremental movement toward a work station having a collar block, b. pickup means at the work station for selecting the end hanger from the container and moving it to an upright garment receiving position behind the collar block and clear of the stack to permit hanging of the garment thereon, c. stack positioning means disposed in contact with the stack of hangers for progressively moving the stack so that the end hanger is moved into position for pickup by the pickup means after the preceding end hanger has been removed, d. control means associated with the stack positioning means and the pickup means for actuation thereof after removal of the garmented hanger.
 2. The hanger dispensing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein: a. the holding and support means includes a support member on which a carton containing the hangers is mounted and held with its ends open to permit hangers to be moved therethrough.
 3. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein: a. the pickup means includes a pivoted member which has a hanger engaging member integral therewith.
 4. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein: a. automatic sensing means is associated with the pickup means for sensing removal of the hanger held in upright position and for sending a control signal to the control means to activate the pickup means.
 5. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein: a. each hanger in the stack of hangers has hanger stacking means for holding the hangers in a horizontal superposed aligned relationship with respect to each other.
 6. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein: a. the holding and support means includes an upright column and a base with a platform disposed above the base and on which vertically stacked hangers are mounted, and b. platform moving means for incrementally lifting the stacked hangers upwardly after the top hanger is removed from the stack by the pickup means.
 7. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 6, wherein: a. the platform moving means includes an upright shaft mounted on the base which extends upwardly through the platform and the stack of hangers, and b. platform supporting means associated with the shaft for supporting the platform and engaging the shaft at successive incremental points along its length.
 8. The hanger diSpensing machine of claim 7, wherein: a. the platform supporting means is a releasable assembly to permit resetting of the platform at the lower level after it has been moved to the top of the shaft to receive an additional stack of hangers.
 9. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 7, wherein: a. the upright column is a threaded shaft, b. the platform supporting means is a nut assembly threaded on the shaft.
 10. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 9, wherein: a. the nut assembly includes a pair of pivoted members which are spring-biased together and each of which contains a portion of a nut which engages the threads on the upright shaft.
 11. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 9, wherein: a. the shaft is rotatably mounted on the base, and b. the power means includes a motor connected to a mechanical power transmission means which is connected to the shaft to impart rotative motion thereto.
 12. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 6, wherein: a. power control means is associated with the platform moving means for automatically activating the platform moving means after a hanger is removed by the pickup means.
 13. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 12, wherein: a. automatic cycle means is connected to the power means and the control means for automatically activating the mechanical power means when the pickup means picks up the top hanger.
 14. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein: a. the pickup means includes a normally vertical pivoted member mounted on the upright column at a point above the top hanger and which pivots downwardly to engage the top hanger.
 15. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 14, wherein: a. the pivoted member has a magnetic member for engaging and holding the hanger through its pivoted movement to an upright position and for holding it in such position until it is removed after a garment has been placed thereon.
 16. A hanger dispensing machine, comprising: a. a collar block mounted on the front of a support assembly, b. holding means disposed on the support assembly behind and below the collar block for receiving an open-top upright container having therein a plurality of horizontally disposed, vertically stacked, aligned hangers, c. pickup means mounted on the support assembly and disposed adjacent the open top of the container for picking up a single hanger and positioning and holding it in upright position immediately behind the collar block, d. hanger positioning means for moving hangers in the container into position to be picked up by the pickup means, and e. control means associated with the pickup means for determining when a hanger has been removed from the pickup means and then activating the pickup means.
 17. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16, wherein: a. the control means includes a switch assembly which has a lever positioned so as to be tripped by the upright hanger as it is removed from the pickup means.
 18. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16, wherein: a. the control means includes delay means for providing clearance time for the operator to clear the hanger and the garment thereon from the dispensing machine.
 19. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16, wherein: a. the stacked are disposed immediately behind the collar block with their hooks disposed furtherest away from and aligned with the collar block, and b. the pickup means includes a pivoted pickup member disposed immediately below the collar block with an arc of travel from a vertical position immediately behind the collar block to a horizontal position immediately above and in contact with the uppermost of the stacked hangers.
 20. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16, wherein: a. the hangers have all portions thereof in a common plane.
 21. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 20, wherein: a. the hanger is of wire construction having adjacent wire portions at the base of the hooks hEld together side by side in a common plane.
 22. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 16, wherein: a. each hanger in the stack of hangers has hanger stacking means for holding the hangers in horizontal superposed aligned relationship with respect to each other.
 23. The hanger dispensing machine of claim 22, wherein: a. the hanger stacking means includes an upstanding bent wire portion adjacent each of the lower ends of the hanger. 